Dry Fly Distilling explores move

Restaurants & Retail

Dry Fly Distilling Inc. is exploring the possibility of moving its entire operation under one roof to part of The Spokesman-Review newspaper printing building downtown, according to a city pre-development application.

Dry Fly owner Don Poffenroth couldn’t be reached for comment; however, the application calls for the company to move its headquarters, all distillation equipment, and its tasting room to 1 N. Monroe. Dry Fly’s current headquarters and tasting room are located at 1003 E. Trent, in a multitenant building that houses Bangkok Thai restaurant and No-Li Brewery, among others.

The current location doesn’t have the ability to house all of Dry Fly’s distillation equipment, says Paul Harrington, principal of South Henry Studios, the project architect.

“The search has gone on for some time now. We’ve probably looked at four or five options, and this one came up about six months ago,” Harrington says.

He says he doesn’t know the precise square footage of the printing press space but estimates that it would provide Dry Fly with a “400% to 500% increase in space.” If Dry Fly were to secure the location, he doesn’t believe the company would fill the entire printing press space.

The estimated relocation cost is listed at $500,000 on the city’s application.

“I think it would be great for downtown Spokane,” Harrington says.

Cowles Publishing Co. expects to move its printing operations to 19223 E. Euclid, in Spokane Valley, by early next spring. Centennial Properties Inc. is the building’s owner. Centennial Properties, The Spokesman-Review, and the Journal of Business are owned by subsidiaries of Cowles Co.